Teets Background

Teets is a bar located in Raleigh NC at the heart of the Glenwood South District, with its massive front and back patio and over 40 ft long main bar inside, Teets has multiple TVs as well as a giant projection screen to watch your favorite hockey games as well as other sports. With its lounging atmosphere, pool table, corn hole and darts its great place whether you want to unwind after work or just getting started for a night on the town. An extensive drink selection and your favorite music, and lots to keep you entertained while checking out some history as to how Teets came to be.

Bates Battaglia (former Carolina Hurricane) and Anthony Battaglia (former professional hockey player), and both Amazing Race 22 grand prize winners, have opened “TEETS" in remembrance of their papa and the brothers Italian and Scottish backgrounds. The Battaglia’s great grandparents came to the USA at the turn of the century, like so many did, to make a better life. It wasn’t easy for many who did. This was no different for the Battaglia’s grandfather Sam “Teets” Battaglia. Being a first generation American, it wasn’t easy finding work especially at that time of economic hardship. In order to feed his family as well as make it in a new world “Teets” took a different path than most in his situation.

Sam “Teets” Battaglia was born in Chicago, Illinois. At age 16, Battaglia joined bosses Johnny Torrio and Al Capone in the Chicago Outfit at the start of the gang war against the mostly Irish North Side Gang, which was under boss Dean O'Banion. By the late 1930s, Battaglia had become a high-ranking member of the Outfit and a formidable loan shark. Debtors behind in their payments would be brought to Battaglia in the back room of the Casa Madrid restaurant, in Chicago, where they would be “persuaded" to pay up. Supposedly Battaglia's nickname "TEETS" came from one such encounter. Another mobster was questioning Battaglia's handling of a debtor and Battaglia yelled back at him, "Shaddup, or I'll bust ya in da "TEETS!” Sam “Teets” Battaglia would eventually work his way up the ranks to head of the Chicago outfit. In doing so he provided his family with everything they needed to make it in America for the future. He had two sons, Richard the youngest (known affectionately as Mr. B), would go on to become a professional football player being inducted into the Semi Pro Football Hall of fame and have a family of his own. Mr. B had 3 boys Sam, Bates, and Anthony who took the reins from there. Like Teets for his son Rich, and consequently Rich for his 3 sons, the eldest, Sam, paved the way for Bates and Anthony. Mr. B always spoke highly of how the family transitioned from where they started and where they have ended up due to “Teets” paving the way for his family.

Teets is a bar that comes from a hard-working family that did whatever it took to get where they wanted to be. It may have been tough at times and there were difficult choices along the way but when you love your family the way, Battaglia’s do, you make it work.